Space: Exploration and exploitation in a modern society

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Space: Exploration and exploitation in a modern society Economic impact of funding space research Avanti Communications’ share-price performance illustrating how growth of the UK space industry consistently outstrips broader economic growth. Courtesy: Avanti Communications 260 240 220 200 180 160 Avanti Communications Group Plc UK FTSE All-Share (Rebased) FTSE AIM All-Share Index (Rebased) 140 120 100 80 2008 Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2009 Feb Mar Apr May Space-science discoveries and technology development will continue to go hand in hand. This was the message from Mr Williams. His company Avanti Communications was founded on basic research and applied science, he said. It is the first European company to launch a satellite-based super-fast broadband service serving customers in rural areas. The underpinning technology stems from ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, which enables European industry to explore new ideas for satellite-communications products and services. The new broadband service will contribute towards the implementation of the government’s “Digital Britain” policy to secure the UK’s position as one of the world’s leading digital-knowledge economies. Mr Williams pointed out that the UK holds a dominant position in the space industry because it has built up a critical mass of knowledge and human resources over a long period that makes it difficult for others to compete. “The UK has a very lean and focused attitude towards space, concentrating on cutting-edge payloads, instrumentation and small platforms. The result is that we have generated a seven-fold return on investment from the ARTES budget,” he said. Some of the world’s most successful space companies are based in the UK, supporting 70 000 jobs and a highly skilled workforce. As well as Avanti Communications, they include: Europe’s leading space company Astrium; Infoterra, which is a leader in Earth-observation services; Inmarsat, which is the world’s most profitable telecommunications company; Paradigm, which provides military satellite-communications services; and Surrey Satellite Telecommunications, which pioneered low-cost satellites. Downstream industries such as Sky TV have also flourished. “We should be very proud of our industry,” said Mr Williams. According to the leading economic forecasting consultancy, Oxford Economics, the global space industry is set to grow by 15% a year. However, Mr Williams warned that the UK must maintain its momentum of developing and exploiting cutting-edge space technologies in the face of growing competition from emerging economies such as China and India. “We need to be continually investing in applied space research and converting it into commercial services. This requires that the science and business sectors work in harmony,” he explained. 3 S p a c e : Ex p l o r a t i o n a n d e x p l o i t a t i o n in a m o d e r n s o c i e t y August 2 0 0 9
Space: Exploration and exploitation in a modern society Space in our lives As well as stimulating economic growth, space-based systems have made an enormous impact on how we deal with the environment. Dr Aderin-Pocock explained how Earth observations from space can follow weather patterns. They can provide an understanding of hurricane formation, for example, so that early-warning systems can be implemented. Images from space can show the best routes for access into areas cut off by flooding and other environmental disasters. A growing use of space technology is in studying the effects of climate change. Dr Aderin-Pocock has been working on the design of ESA’s Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM-Aeolus), which aims to measure wind-speed profiles. The data obtained will improve the quality of weather forecasts, and advance our understanding of atmospheric dynamics and climate processes. “Wind speed is one of the biggest unknowns in understanding what influences climate,” said Dr Aderin-Pocock. The main instrument is a laser that emits pulses of ultraviolet light, which are then back-scattered from atmospheric particles and detected. Studying the climates of our planetary neighbours also helps us to better understand the Earth’s climate, explained Dr Aderin-Pocock. ESA’s Venus Express mission, launched in 2005, uncovered our sister planet’s extraordinary atmospheric system, revealing, for example, a bizarre giant double-hurricane system at the South Pole. Venus is extremely hot and suffers from a runaway greenhouse effect, so provides an extreme model for studies of global warming. Mars, which is much colder than the Earth, is an example of what happens when a planet loses its atmosphere. ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft is mapping the planet, and observations indicate that water was once abundant on the Martian surface. Mars could once have harboured life and may do so again if humans decide to colonise it. Dr Aderin-Pocock said that there were many practical benefits from planetary exploration. The UK Beagle 2 lander, which was carried by the Mars Express spacecraft, had to incorporate instrumentation that was as compact as possible. One of the main instruments was a miniature mass spectrometer, which is now being developed as part of a portable system for diagnosing tuberculosis in Africa. Similarly, autonomous navigation systems being designed for future Mars expeditions (ExoMars to explore and sample the Martian surface and subsurface for past and current signs of life, and Mars Sample Return, which aims to bring Martian samples back to Earth) will find equally significant applications in terrestrial environments. Another potentially major impact (literally) on human existence is the threat of near-Earth objects (NEOs) – orbiting comets or meteorites that could collide with the Earth. ESA is working on a mission concept called Don Quijote, which Top: the Beagle 2 lander leaving the Mars express orbiter. Courtesy: European Space Agency 2001. Illustration by Media Lab. Left: the ExoMars Rover – phase B1 concept. Courtesy: European Space Agency S p a c e : Ex p l o r a t i o n a n d e x p l o i t a t i o n in a m o d e r n s o c i e t y August 2 0 0 9 4
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Space: Exploration and exploitation in a modern society

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